Ctrip enters partnership with Melia Hotels

Ctrip – China’s biggest online travel agent (OTA) – has big plans for Spain. According to the company, Spain is “surpassing” Italy and France as a go-to destination for Chinese travellers. That’s at least one of the reasons Ctrip has announced a new “far-reaching” partnership with Melia Hotels.

Ctrip’s share price is up an incredible 40%, year-to-date

SOURCE: Yahoo Finance

Melia Hotels is a global company with 370 properties on four continents under a number of brands. And the agreement is also a global one. But it’s the Spanish and other European properties that seem to have caught Ctrip’s eye.

The agreement will focus on marketing, service and technology, all of which will see the two companies collaborate across boarders. In addition, there will be an “enhanced direct connection” between Ctrip and Melia, which will make Melia’s offers more easily available to Ctrip users.

Ctrip Hotel Business general manager Rong Zhong, said that the deal “signals our further development in the European market, and will provide more diverse hotel options for Chinese travellers when they visit Europe.”

The marketing that the two companies collaborate on will cover a range of offline and online campaigns, and be “underpinned by big data driven precision solutions.”

The deal is one which may have been on the cards for some time: Melia is already one of Ctrip’s “China Preferred Hotels” – a recognition of their willingness and ability to cater to Chinese consumers. But now it will go a step further, with the hoteliers offering personalized services and having dedicated Chinese speaking staff on hand at its locations.

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